三思而行

sānsī'érxíng

look before you leap

Wiktionary

Homographs

三思而行 sānsīérxíng think three times then go (idiom); don't act before you've thought it through carefully

Entry Composition

1 三思 sānsī to think carefully (before taking action); to think twice; to contemplate
2 而 ér
  1. and
  2. as well as
  3. and so
  4. but (not)
  5. yet (not)
  6. (indicates causal relation)
  7. (indicates change of state)
  8. (indicates contrast)
=3 行 háng
  1. (bound form) row; line
  2. (bound form) line of business; trade; profession
  3. (bound form) commercial firm
  4. (bound form) to rank (first, second etc) among one's siblings (by age)
  5. (in data tables) row; (Tw) column
  6. classifier for rows or lines
=3 行 héng used in 道行 dàohéng
=3 行 xíng
  1. (bound form) to walk; to go; to travel
  2. (literary) trip; journey; visit
  3. (bound form) temporary; makeshift
  4. (bound form) current; in circulation
  5. (bound form) to do; to perform
  6. capable; competent
  7. all right; OK!; will do
  8. behavior; conduct (Taiwan pr. xìng)
  9. (literary) about to; soon
=3 行 hàng
  1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) used in 行行 (“bold; staunch; strong”)
  2. order; rank
  3. used in 樹行子／树行子 (“row of trees”)
  4. used in 行行 (“bold; staunch; strong”)